The number of cyberattacks in 2024 grew by 46% compared to 2023. Every month, over 1 billion threats are blocked by various cybersecurity systems. Scam and malicious advertising account for more than 87% of attacks on desktops and 93% on mobile devices.
According to a report by Gen Digital, one of the leading software developers behind the Norton, Avast, and Avira antivirus programs, the number of cyberattacks increased by 46% this year compared to 2023. Despite a ~7% decline in cybercriminal activity in Q2, about 28.8% of active users face cyber threats.
The report states that approximately 3.05 billion cyberattacks were blocked between April and June 2024, down 10.6% from Q1. The number of blocked URLs increased by 23.6% to 643 million. Analysts noted that approximately 95% of all cyberattacks are conducted through Internet browsers.
Representatives of Gen Digital attribute the decrease in cybercrime in Q2 2024 to the active measures of law enforcement agencies. In May 2024, a major operation called Endgame was conducted by Europol in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Justice. The operation made it possible to limit the work of major botnet providers IcedID, SmokeLoader, and Trickbot.
The report notes that the most common forms of cyberattacks in 2024 are scam and malvertising. The number of fraudulent attacks via desktops accounted for 61.7% of all cyberattacks, down 11% from the previous quarter. At the same time, the number of fraud schemes executed through mobile devices in Q2 2024 was 77.2% of all such cyberattacks — a 25% decrease over the quarter.
Gen Digital analysts also noted a 6% increase in the use of malvertising. The report highlights AI bots cybercriminals use to improve old fraud schemes and create new ones. In particular, AI technologies allow fraudsters to generate human-like voice messages and video broadcasts using videos of famous personalities. AI bots are also being actively used by fraudsters in pig butchering schemes and romance scams.
The Gen Digital report highlights that in Q2 2024, there’ll be a surge in the use of various malware to steal user data. Analysts warned that users most often download malware that allows attackers to access their personal information through the PlayStore along with banking apps.
In the first eight months of 2024, hackers managed to steal more than $1.2 billion in crypto, of which $63 million was stolen in August via phishing.
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